News Nosh 2.17.20

"People said that their dream is to come to Israel as tourists."
--Alex Lipshin, a Russian-Israeli, who according to Yedioth is the first Israeli to travel to Saudi Arabia following the Saudi announcement
that Israelis were permitted to visit, quoted Saudi Arabians he met.*
Front Page:

Technological revolution and reduced housing prices: Highlights of Netanyahu's economic plan -
Prime Minister declared alongside Nir Barkat about a number of economic directions he intends to take if he
wins the election: “We will present moves in the field of technology that will march Israel into the next
generation.” (Maariv and Israel Hayom)

Declaration of loyalty: Right-wing leaders have signed a joint letter supporting the prime
minister - In a joint initiative of the Interior Minister and the Defense Minister, the leaders of the
Shas, Yemina and Yehadut Hatorah (Torah Judaism) signed a letter promising to support a government headed by
Netanyahu. (Maariv and Yedioth Hebrew)

Lieberman: "Let me, I'll set up a government, Netanyahu is finished" - About two and a half
weeks before the election, Chairman of Yisrael Beiteinu said that “Kahol-Lavan sending messages to the
ultra-Orthodox," adding: "Shaked and Bennet dream that Netanyahu's nightmare will pass." (Maariv/103FM)

“We are the most significant voice in the elections” - The last elections saw a significant
movement of Ethiopian voices from Likud to other parties. Now the Ethiopian public is seeing the transition of
MK Gadi Yavrakan from Kahol-Lavan to Likud, the Committee for Investigating Police, and the decision to bring
the Falashmura to Israel - and they understand very well: The battle for their vote is more dramatic than ever.
"It's a sign that the Ethiopian community will be the one to decide.” (Yedioth Hebrew)

Two Weeks Before Israel's Election, Parties Focus on Avoiding Yet Another Stalemate - As polls
continue to indicate no substantial change in the make-up of political blocs, both left and right fear that
fatigued voters will simply stay home. (Haaretz+)

Bennett: "I will not sit under Gantz, but I would love to pull some friends from Kahol-Lavan”
- Defense Minister showed strength of his loyalty to Netanyahu: "We will kick down the stairs anyone who tries
to lead a putsch against Likud." (Maariv)

Voter Data From Likud Party App Leaked for Second Time in One Week - Elector app developer and
Likud deny that there was a serious mishap, but the second hack involved disclosure of more information than
the first. (Haaretz+ and Calcalist English)

Amazon slammed for free shipping to Israeli settlements but not to Palestinian territories -
The online retail giant offers free shipping on orders $49 or more to addresses in Israel while addresses
listed in 'Palestinian Territories' pay as much as $24 for shipping. (JTA, Haaretz)

Request to confiscate 1.7 billion shekels of Palestinian Authority money - The (right-wing)
organization Shurat Hadin sought to impose a foreclosure order on 1.696 billion shekels, according to a verdict
by Jerusalem District Court Deputy Judge Moshe Drory, stating that "the Palestinian Authority is responsible
for 15 cases of terrorist attacks in the Second Intifada, terrorist attacks not only perpetrated by its
employees and its operatives, but also by the PLO, Hamas And Islamic Jihad.” (Maariv)

New Masa restrictions may prevent students from meeting with Palestinians in West Bank - Those
who came to Israel with a Masa scholarship find out the funds are conditional on severe travel restrictions.
(Haaretz+)

Channel 13 News released the recordings of the talks between Mendelblitt and Ashkenazi in the Harpaz
affair - Five days passed since the publication of the fake document and until the former chief of
staff confessed that he held it. In the published conversations the two are heard discussing the issue.
(Maariv)

Israeli Lawmakers to Vote on Immunity Request by Former Cabinet Minister Katz - Former labor
minister allegedly promoted legislation that would have benefited him personally while concealing apparent
conflicts of interest. (Haaretz+ and Maariv)

Trial starts for off-duty policeman who shot and killed Ethiopian Israeli teenager - Judge
vows 'trial will take place in an orderly manner' amid media frenzy and popular unrest sparked by accusations
of racist bias. (Haaretz+)

Former IDF captive Gilad Schalit gets engaged - Schalit and his girlfriend of two years Nitzan
Shabbat made it official over Valentine's weekend, announcing the happy occasion on social media. (Israel Hayom)

Saturday in Alexandria - The renovated "Elijah the Prophet" Synagogue in Alexandria was
inaugurated on Friday at a ceremony attended by 180 Jews from around the world, a staff of the Israeli Embassy
in Egypt, diplomats from Jerusalem and a small group of Israelis. The event took place under heavy
security. Former Ambassador David Govrin gave a speech in Arabic and the US Ambassador Jonathan Cohen
congratulated. Cost of renovation $4 million - funded by Egypt. (Photo: David Lisbon, Yedioth Hebrew)

Syrian Forces Seize Most of Rebel-held Aleppo Province Ahead of Turkey-Russia Talks - The
rapid advance by the Syrian regime has offset the fragile cooperation between Ankara and Moscow as
Turkish-backed rebels launch operation in Idlib to retake areas lost to Syrian government forces. (Agencies,
Haaretz)

Freezing temperatures in Syria's Idlib compound deadly crisis - The weather has contributed to
at least 10 deaths, including four who suffered hypothermia, a family of four that died of suffocation in their
tent and two who burned to death when their tent caught fire. (Agencies, Haaretz)

Rockets strike Iraqi base hosting US troops; no injuries - Small rockets hit the Iraqi base
hosting American troops and other coalition forces in Baghdad’s Green Zone early Sunday, but cause no
casualties and only minor damage, according to a US military official. (Agencies, Israel Hayom)

'Imminent threat' doesn't appear in White House letter on Soleimani killing - As required by
law, the administration sent Congress an unclassified justification for the strike on Jan. 2 that killed Iran's
Qassem Soleimani at the airport in Baghdad. (Agencies, Haaretz)

Oman sees biggest Gulf clash risk in Strait of Hormuz - The risk of a military confrontation
is higher in the Strait of Hormuz than anywhere else in the Gulf region, Oman's foreign minister said.
(Agencies, Haaretz)

WATCH Ivanka Trump Lauds Saudi, UAE on Women's Rights Reforms - The daughter of U.S. President
Donald Trump was delivering the keynote address at the two-day Global Women’s Forum held in an opulent resort
overlooking the city's Persian Gulf coastline. (Agencies, Haaretz)

Jewish leaders seek better policing of online hate speech - "The strength and power given by
social media to people on the margins of society is causing chaos," says Rabbi Pinchas Goldschmidt, president
of the Conference of European Rabbis and chief rabbi of Moscow. (Agencies, Israel Hayom)

Features:

Fact-checking Israeli Foreign Minister's List of Diplomatic Achievements
Is Yisrael Katz right in taking credit for the Yad Vashem international extravaganza, pacts with Gulf States and
maintaining ties with China amid the threat of coronavirus?. (Noa Landau, Haaretz+)The rescue team for shell-shocked
They charged terrorists but find it difficult to get back to work. They struggle to keep the their relationships
together and they can’t get free from the angry tantrums. Now the group of shell-shocked established a team that
goes out at any hour to help those returning with mental injuries from military service: "The state should take
responsibility.” (Elisha Ben Kimon, Yedioth Hebrew)Hebrew becomes hip in American schools as a boon for kids, communities
Along with its increasing popularity come some significant challenges, such as finding qualified educators to run
classes and programs. (Faygie Holt, Israel Hayom)*The journey of the Israeli blogger in Saudi Arabia
Alex Lipshin used the new permit to fly to Saudi Arabia and was one of the first in the country to go on a
fascinating tour of the conservative Arab kingdom. ”It's more like America than the Middle East.” Despite the new
order that allows flying to Saudi Arabia, for most Israelis vacationing in the Arab kingdom still sounds on the
verge of insanity. But there are also those who jumped at the opportunity. Israeli-Russian blogger Alex Lipshin is
one of the first, if not the first, Israeli to visit the country after the skies officially opened. "The Saudis are
particularly friendly, both men and women," Lipshin says, but warns: "Because the country has been closed to
foreigners for many years, they are not so used to tourists. I fear the average Israeli tourist will easily have
problems here." Lipshin did enter Saudi Arabia on his Russian passport, but at the border crossing, Saudi policemen
found that he did not have a departure stamp from Cyprus, from where he arrived on the flight. He showed them the
Israeli passport and the Saudi policemen smiled and told him, "This time you will travel here as an Israeli,
inshallah." In general, Lipshin said, the Saudis he met knew he was from Israel were interested and happy about the
relations between the countries. "People said that their dream is to come to Israel as tourists," he said…Lipshin
noted that Saudi Arabia is a very cheap country compared to Israel. "Fuel costs 2 shekels per liter, shawarma 10
shekels. The taxi fare is one shekel per kilometer, while a mid-level hotel costs an average of $30 a night." He
adds about the strange rules: "You can't take pictures of mosques. Why? No explanation. Because of an innocent
photo I shot in Riyadh, I almost ran into trouble. In addition, there are five prayers a day, so if you are in a
restaurant during a prayer, you are asked to leave, even if you haven't finished the meal. The restaurant just
closes for half an hour and then you can come back.” The curiosity of the Israeli blogger has complicated him in
the past. Lipshin, who illegally visited the territories held in Azerbaijan, was sentenced to three years in prison
by the Baku Serious Crimes Court. After seven months in prison in Azerbaijan, he received a pardon from the
president and was released. "Saudi Arabia is the last country in the Middle East I visited," he said. "Everything
else was done from 2002 to 2004, including Iraq, Syria, Yemen and Libya." (Itamar Eichner, Yedioth Hebrew)

Top Commentary/Analysis:Defeated, Humiliated, Pleading (Odeh Bisharat, Haaretz+) “Peace is made only with defeated enemies.” That was the message of
giant billboards that were hung around Tel Aviv last week. The ads showed images of two leaders of the
Palestinian people, Ismail Haniyeh and Mahmoud Abbas, kneeling and blindfolded. One had his hands raised in a
gesture of surrender, while the other waved a white flag. In the background was a scene of complete
destruction, with fighter jets – presumably Israeli – flying above it. This is shocking. It’s enough to keep
people awake at night – both those on the losing side and normal people on the winning one. But it’s the
practical expression of the slogan that has been popular here for generations: The Arabs only understand the
language of force.Israel Isn't Telling Its Soldiers That Shooting Children Is a Crime. It Has To (Haaretz Editorial) Malek Issa came home from school on Saturday. First he called
his mother and asked her to come get him, but she said it was nice out and he could walk home with his younger
sisters. Issa, 9, grew up in Isawiyah, the East Jerusalem neighborhood the police have targeted for abuse. His
father, Wahel, told Haaretz’s Nir Hasson Sunday, “I turn my home into a prison for my kids because of all the
problems in the village.” That’s how he tries to protect them from harm. When his son returned from school,
police were in the neighborhood, apparently to arrest a resident. A crowd gathered around the officers, who
began shooting. Residents say no one was throwing stones at the time. Malek suffered serious injuries to his
head and face when he was hit by a sponge-tipped steel bullet. The police said, “During an operation by the
police in Isawiyah, riot-control measures were employed during which a minor, aged 9, was wounded. The
circumstances are being examined.” The examination of circumstances by the police is familiar to everyone:
Nothing will come of it. A police officer shoots a boy, and the matter doesn’t even reach the stage of a real
investigation. That’s how it is when the victim is a Palestinian, even if he’s a young child.The Arab sector's identity crisis (Irit Linur, Israel Hayom) The way Joint Arab List MKs have been conducting themselves as of
late is reminiscent of an adolescent temper tantrum. If they really want to achieve something for their
constituents, they have to realize it's time to grow up.Ex-Jerusalem Mayor Almost Became Finance Minister. But Then Netanyahu Got Cold Feet (Sami Peretz,
Haaretz+) Barkat was so close, but then the PM settled on nominating him in the
future, maybe.Jews Fighting Jerusalem Arab Project Will Soon Find They're on the Losing Side (Nir Hasson,
Haaretz+) The combination of blatant, covert racism and local politicians who
promoted the fight for a third national election have led the plan to its premature doom.Are the Palestinians ready for a state? (Jason Shvili, Israel Hayom) Granting the Palestinians independence would basically be like
creating another Islamic Republic of Iran that would endanger the security, not just of Israel, but of other
neighboring countries in the region.Yes, Israel wants peace — after it gets rid of the Palestinians (Orly Noy, Israel Hayom) A billboard posted across Tel Aviv showing Palestinian leaders
blindfolded and on their knees reveals what many Israelis think.Hamas is in charge in Gaza border towns, not Israel (Matan Tzuri, Yedioth/Ynet) Living in near the Strip means not knowing whether you can have a
family birthday party or a stroll through the blossoms - because there is no telling if the area will be
burning today, tomorrow or the day after; a terror group rules our lives, not the people in Jerusalem whose
gaze elsewhere.AIPAC's fall: I worked at the pro-Israel lobby. Now I have to call it out (Ken Toltz, Haaretz+) AIPAC used to be a nuanced, sophisticated, bipartisan pro-Israel
operation. But its ugly Trump-style ads attacking the Democratic Party are strategically suicidal. How did
AIPAC get sucked into the worst partisan politics - and can it recover?Abbas Spoke With Courage at the United Nations (Ronit Marzan, Haaretz+) “We are not against the Jews. We are Muslims. A Muslim who says ‘I’m
against a Jew or against the Torah’ is a heretic.” The person who said these words is not a Muslim cleric,
it’s Mahmoud Abbas, chairman of the Palestinian Authority. It’s part of a speech he delivered in front of the
members of the United Nations Security Council last week. It’s a courageous, far-reaching statement, which has
never been heard from a Palestinian leader, not even from Yasser Arafat, who signed the Oslo Accords. It was a
spontaneous utterance, which apparently was not included in the written speech, and it’s not certain that the
authors of the speech were happy to hear it. Such a statement is likely to arouse harsh criticism against
Abbas from the opposition Palestinian factions, headed by Hamas, who consider “the deal of the century” an
opportunity to unite the ranks and drag the PA into breaking all ties with Israel. But Abbas is not disturbed
by what the opposition thinks of him. It’s much more important to him to convince the members of the Security
Council and the Middle East Quartet (United States, European Union, United Nations and Russia) that the PA –
and not Hamas, some of whose leaders are still hostage to their hatred of the Jews – is the only address for
bringing about a diplomatic arrangement.The Iranian Regime in Panic Days Before Parliamentary Election (Zvi Bar'el, Haaretz+) The establishment campaign has targeted the public most hurt and
frustrated by restrictions on freedom and U.S. economic sanctions: young voters.

Elections
2020/Netanyahu Indictment Commentary/Analysis:"Life itself": The six reforms Netanyahu recalls promoting after a decade in office (Yehuda
Sharoni, Maariv) If even one of the moves presented by the PM in his economic plan is
implemented, it is even more desirable to wish Baraket indeed the Treasury portfolio, if and when the Likud
forms a government.
Benjamin Netanyahu, the Editor in Chief (Raviv Drucker, Haaretz+) Benjamin Netanyahu: “I met with Eli Azur,” owner of The Jerusalem Post
and Maariv. “I told him the following, and listen well: ‘How you’ve distorted things, how slanted you are. Why
do you keep these people? Either change them or bring in new ones.’” When questioned by the police in Case
4000, Netanyahu tried to explain, with upside-down logic, that the type of conversations he had with Shaul
Elovitch, owner of Bezeq and the Walla news website, were no different than his talks with many other media
figures: “Azur told me, ‘Bring me people.’ The same talk I had with Elovitch I had with [Yaron] Dekel a few
days ago,” he continued, referring to the then- head of Army Radio. This was an aggressive, multifarious
effort to gain control of the media. Netanyahu labored to persuade billionaires to buy those wretched Israeli
media outlets. Larry Ellison, Arnon Milchan, James Packer, Sheldon Adelson were sent, on Netanyahu’s orders,
to meet with Elovitch, Arnon Mozes (Yedioth Ahronoth) and Ehud Angel (Reshet TV). He hooked them up with
lawyers – David Shimron, Isaac Molho, the late Yaakov Neeman. That way, his cronies might also earn a shekel
or two from this effort. At the same time, he tried to set up an Israeli version of Fox News. He set up and
met with a team, did research and sent them to Ellison….For a long time, we thought the only thing that came
of Netanyahu’s grand plans was Israel Hayom. In his police interrogations, Netanyahu almost boasts of his
failures. In fact, he didn’t fail totally. He may have planted quite a few of “his” people. (State witness
Nir) Hefetz claimed that Yaakov Bardugo, a propagandist at Army Radio, owes his promotion to a similar chain
of events. Maybe this is what Dekel meant when he said in closed meetings that “This appointment saved the
station.” There are many “journalists” today who aren’t just Netanyahu supporters, but who to a large extent
owe him their promotions, or even their jobs. Anyone who (like me) mocked the prime minister’s obsession with
the media now has to admit that it has become a critical tool for his survival in office."Not entitled to victim sympathy": Prime Minister’s allegations of persecution are baseless
conspiracy (Prof. Nimrod Aloni, Maariv) Netanyahu, wealthy, well-connected, has been in office for a decade,
enjoys the support of a popular newspaper and appears on television whenever he wants. Common sense indicates
that his accusations against his opponents are baseless.Election Tie Would Be as Good as a Victory for Netanyahu (Uzi Baram, Haaretz+) Benjamin Netanyahu didn’t invent the fierce passion to rule; there
were others before him. But he changed one element: He eliminated the rules of the game. Never before has
Israel had a prime minister who turned the attorney general, a confidant whom he chose for the position, into
a target for attacks by failed politicians. Never before was there a prime minister who assailed the country’s
Arab minority and its elected representatives as if they were a gang of traitors. He has called the legal
system “leftist,” and the media too, although most of it is in thrall to him..Breaking this stalemate will be
much harder than analysts predict. Netanyahu prefers this tie to a weak victory; the tie is his triumph, and
the failure of his opponents.Idle promises (Sever Plocker, Yedioth Hebrew) Netanyahu again recycles unfulfilled economic promises. Ahead of
the 2008 elections, Benjamin Netanyahu authored a book - an economic proclamation - entitled "The Israeli
Leopard, Free Market Revolution," in which he wrote: "With proper policy, Israel will be able to join the
world's top 10 countries in per capita income within 10-15 years." Since then, Netanyahu has been prime
minister and could have fulfilled his vision. The vision was not fulfilled. Israel's position by GDP per
capita adjusted for purchasing power remained almost as it was in 2008, close to 40 in rating. Although Israel
was not affected by the financial crisis, our rate of economic growth, in terms of real per capita income, was
not very rapid and did not advance us to the top of the rich countries….Netanyahu and Barkat have consistently
refrained from addressing the burdensome budget deficit and necessarily raising taxes to fund the investments
needed in health, transport, education and the media. Without them, the hope of improving productivity will
not be increased, and therefore the gaps between us and the top of the developed countries will not be closed.
Netanyahu, he recalls, stole his cited book: Already in 2008, he feared he would not keep his promises. The
credibility of his promises has not increased since then, it has only deteriorated.Seeking logic: Why do the Prime Minister's opponents refuse to acknowledge his successes? (Meir
Uziel, Maariv) What hurts decent people to admit Netanyahu's achievements? The game
that is called elections is not the one who wins the argument and receives internal satisfaction, but whether
the ballots will bring prosperity to the state.Gantz Just Went on a TV Blitz, but We Learned Only a Single New Thing – About Bibi (Anshel
Pfeffer, Haaretz+) Whether Gantz wins or loses, it will be on Netanyahu’s terms.We want change: The Prime Minister’s actions have led Israel to unprecedented governmental decay
(Ben Caspit, Maariv) The severe indictments and actions that indicate a loss of inhibition -
the Bibists need to understand that the desire to replace the Prime Minister at all costs is legitimate for
those who aspire for a change in leadership.Whether Gantz Wins or Loses, It Will Be on Netanyahu’s Terms (Anshel Pfeffer, Haaretz+) In a blitz of five separate interviews, Gantz said absolutely nothing
new but proved one thing – Netanyahu still decides what a winning politician looks like.

Interviews:Risking his life to save lives
After five years as a combat medic in one of the most challenging units of the IDF, involved in rescue missions
often under fire, Guy is now a medical student who hopes his book, 'From Zero to One Hundred,' finds its way to
the silver screen so people can really understand what it is to be an Israeli soldier. (Interviewed by Itay
Ilnai in Yedioth/Ynet)

'We presented the Americans with what most Israelis believe in'
Dore Gold, the president of the Jerusalem Center for Public Affairs and a former UN ambassador, speaks with
Israel Hayom about the secret channel he maintained with the Trump administration as it drafted its peace plan.
(Interviewed by Ariel Kahana in Israel Hayom)

Prepared for APN by Orly Halpern, independent freelance journalist based in Jerusalem.